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FlamesNation Mailbag: Dustin Wolf’s next contract, off-season changes, and MacKenzie Weegar’s future
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Photo credit: Mike Gould
Ryan Pike
May 12, 2025, 10:00 EDTUpdated: May 11, 2025, 19:10 EDT
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The Stanley Cup playoffs keep marching on! And while the Calgary Flames, sadly, did not qualify for that particular tournament, there are lots of things happening with the Flames in the form of the 2025 IIHF World Championship, the ongoing Canadian Hockey League playoffs, and preparations for the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.
Let’s check in with the mailbag!
It’s been six full seasons of hockey since Dustin Wolf was drafted 214th overall in the NHL Draft back in 2019. Since then, he’s been crowned the Western Hockey League’s top goaltender twice, the American Hockey League’s top goaltender twice, and is a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He’s been in heavy award contention in five out of six seasons since being drafted.
You sign a player to a bridge deal if you’re not sure what they are. I know Wolf only has one full NHL season under his belt, but his resume is as sparkling as anybody’s can be at this point in his NHL career. If you can hash one out, I think you try to go long-term with Wolf.
The Flames’ food and beverage people have been doing a lot of experimenting over the last few seasons, essentially using the Saddledome as a sandbox to try out ideas before the new building opens. I suspect they’ll continue to try out ideas in the Saddledome and carry over the stuff that fans seem to like into Scotia Place.
I will just say this: poor MacKenzie Weegar had an overtime goal go in off of him against Vegas back in April. The hockey gods can be mean sometimes. To everybody.
I would suspect we’ve seen the last of Kevin Rooney and Joel Hanley – Hanley’s been fantastic, but I suspect he deserves a raise and a place where he can play a bigger role, and he’s the easiest blueliner to swap out to open a spot for Zayne Parekh. I’m not sure what happens with Dan Vladar and Rasmus Andersson, though. I can see scenarios where they’re back or where they depart.
In terms of building and maintaining the type of on and off-ice culture that you want the Flames to have going forward, I think you flat-out need MacKenzie Weegar as part of the hockey club. He’s excellent on the ice – and based on his contract, he’s underpaid – and his versatility really helps the coaching staff do a lot of different things. And I don’t think the Flames have any appetite to strip the team down anymore than they already did during the 2023-24 period. They’re trying to build themselves back up, and they see Weegar as an essential part of what they’re trying to build.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)

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